A Christmas message from
a country trying to rebuild

By HEATHER
BELLAMY

“Silent night, Holy
night, all is cal, all is
bright.”

The sweetly familiar
words sing themselves
over in my mind as I gaze
out into the night sky of
‘Kabul.

Stars

are blinking

“through” a ‘haze of smoke

and fog.in the Afghan ca-
pital. |.can see the flashing
orange glaw af cooking
fires being lit in the homes
on the mountainside just
behind our home.

Night descends early,
about 5 p.m. and most traf-
fic stops. Everyone is
tucked inside near a warm
fire and the typical kero-
sene hurricane lantern
lights the evening meal.

Well, almost everyone.
I wonder how the 74,000
street children of Kabul
are faring. Some have mo-
thers and a hovel to return
to. Lats huddle around ma-
keshift fires under bridges.

What of those who be-
came insane at the atroci-
ties witnessed in 23 years
of war? Like the man I
met who saw his entire fa-
mily of wife and kids
killed in a rocket attack
that hit his home.

He’d fall down sense-
less whenever the pain of
the memories suddenly
flooded in.

These people wander
the streets, wild and un-
kempt; people scatter with
nervous laughs when they
come near. Do they even
- know enough to feel the
cold and find shelter
somewhere?

And then there are the
evil ones. Those bent on
‘bloodshed still. They roam
at night, like the wild dogs
of Kabul, murdering taxi
drivers for their vehicles,
robbing homes at gunpoint,
killing 23 year old youths
for their. movie carneras.

right.

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om _ eae 1
THE MANY faces of Afghanistan portray a country that has been beset by war

but which is now in the throes of recovery and rebuilding thanks to international
aid efforts and the will of the people of the country.

The song continues,
“round yon virgin mother
ard Child,”

Yesterday, as I was cut-
ting cloth for curtains in
our dining room, I heard
the chortles and cooing of
a baby. We share part of
our yard with a poor

tion by referring to the
ABCs as they have often
hounded me to teach their
children English.

| smiled to myself and
my thoughts wandered
again to Christmas. Did
Mary sit and coo to her
babe? Did she squat on the

“| am compelled to return to give
back however | can, some of the love
that has been lavished on me.”

Afghan family, and the
women were silting in the
doorway of their mud
house in the afternoon sun,
warming themselves.

My dining room win-
dows open right onto their
front door so there is little
privacy. As | worked on
the floor cutting, I could
hear the young mother pur-
ting to her babe in Farsi,
“Leam your ABCs and you

appRar, fale Wall go far)”. She, was actu;

ally. trying to get my” atten-

Ha
“Holi (ous

May your holiday
season be sweet
and warm.

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Atime to say “thank you” to all the

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May this Christmas season
find you gathered In harmony
with loved ones and friends,
sharing fond memories and
making new ones.

Kitselas Band Council

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a 635-5084

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ground and comb out her
freshly washed hair to dry
in the sun in the privacy of
the women’s quarters?
Perhaps she was mostly
relieved that the whole
event was over with. In
those days, just as in
Afghan culture today, an
unwed girl with child
would be killed as the law
of the land dictated. She
was safely married and de-

wah ils OW

My thoughts were inter-

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rupted by the mother hold-
ing the baby to the win-
dow, who can resist!? I
opened it, and was rewar-
ded by a full gummy grin
from the infant who met
my gaze with dancing
eyes.

“Silent night, holy
night; Son of God, Love's
pure light, radiant beams
from Thy koly face.”

Hard to imagine Christ
leaving all the goodness,
wonder and glory of hea-
ven, to be thrust into what
was not a very prelty si-
tuation. Rome ruled Pales-
tine with an iron fist, no
talk of Human Rights
Commissions then. Unrest
and revalt was boiling
under the surface. But that
was what was so incred-
ible about the Incarnation,
“Christ became man and
dwelt among us, full of
grace and truth.”

He didn’t hedge his bets
about if or haw He'd be re-
ceived, but, came to show

Cont'd Page A16

ss

es,

638- 1704

prosperous New Year.
_INLL
es ) Pi
SKEENA VALLEY
Fakmens MaRKET

2? = \J e would like to wish all our

customers a Merry Christmas and a

healthy and prosperous New Yeat.
From the staff.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 25, 2002 - A15

SEASONS GREETINGS !

Our staff would li be

to wish everyone a
Merry Christmas
_ andavery

Ha 2pDY and Health thy

New Year.

Terrace & District

' Credit Union
4650 Lezelle Avenue, Terrace 80 VEG 186
(250) 635-7282 or fax (250) 635-2713
www.tdeu.com

OPEN FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE:
Tues.—Thurs. 10 am—5 pm, Fri. 10 am—? pm,
and Sat. 9 am—1 pm

Everything we do,
we do for YOU

Roger Harris, MLA Skeena Constituency
_ 4623 Park Ave., Terrace; B.C. V8G 1V5
Ph. (250) 615-4828 Fax: (250) 615-4833

Province of
British Columbla